Should There Be Limits on Casino Apps?

Posted on 2016-06-30 by Sean Williamson

There has been some speculation in the media lately that mobile Casinos are making it easier for players, particularly in the younger 18-35 age group, to develop an addiction to gambling. Whether this is strictly true or not, it is certainly true that mobile Casinos and Casino Apps make Casinos much more accessible than ever before. Should there be betting limits on how much you can spend at a Casino and, if so, who should be in charge of setting the limit?

If you are reading this article then it is likely that you love gambling, perhaps at an online Casino or on a Casino App. Either way, most readers of this article enjoy gambling as it should be enjoyed: as a form of entertainment. However, some individuals are less able to control themselves when it comes to gambling and for them playing at an online Casino can spiral out of control.

The proportion of the global population that has a tendency towards compulsive gambling is somewhere between 0.5 and 2.3%. In the grand scheme of things, that’s a very small number, particularly when you put it in perspective with a similar compulsion: nearly one third of the population, so it is thought, have a shopping addiction, but it is not so frequently recognised or talked about.

When it comes to online and mobile gambling the crucial question is: how do we protect those most at risk so that everyone else can continue to have a good time? Do we need to set betting limits and, if so, who should be the one to set the limit? Should it be the government, the Casino or the player him or herself?

In New Zealand they are experimenting with an innovative system involving a ‘pre-commitment’ card which would enable players to limit themselves before they begin playing. This would only work if it was universally mandated, but it seems like a sensible way of letting players choose their own cut off point and then ensuring that they stick to it. Although this is currently being considered at land-based Casinos, some online Casinos and Sports Betting sites already offer similar solutions which could definitely become more widespread.

There are some groups in the UK who are calling for the Government to cap the amount that can be spent on a Casino App each week; however, a government enforced cap threatens to encroach on individual freedoms. Brian Wright of the Remote Gambling Association has insisted that “the extensive protection tools that apply to online gambling are sufficient to help most customers manage their gambling.”

It is also conventional for all reputable online and mobile Casinos to offer a ‘self-exclusion’ option which allows players to lock themselves out of the Casino if they feel that they are spending more than they can afford.

Self-moderation and pre-control, although excellent concepts to aid those who need help, may not always be the most realistic ways to protect problem gamblers. Perhaps this means that trying to moderate individual behaviour in Casinos is pointless, as the small percentage of people for whom Casino Apps have become a compulsion will find a way to gamble one way or another; or perhaps someone will come up with the perfect solution to enable all players to access online Casinos as frequently as the choose, without spending more than they can afford.

At casinoapp.com we want all of our visitors to enjoy their Casino experience and so we recommend only the most reputable Casino Apps that provide the most entertaining games. All of our recommended Apps have self-exclusion options which the Casinos are happy to put in place at a simple request.